Turning Base Into Gold?

Among other things, historical alchemists sought a method to turn base metal into gold. By naming it's new research project "Alchemy", is Adobe suggesting that ActionScript is gold?

Adobe recently released a new program (named Alchemy) that compiles C/C++ source code for Flash. I've got to say that this is the most exciting thing I've seen come out of Adobe/Macromedia in years. I haven't had time to dig into yet, but my brain is already racing with ideas to explore...libraries I've always wanted to port to ActionScript.

According to Adobe:

We are making this software available to gauge community interest in Alchemy and welcome your feedback. ... Please also note that this is a research project and there is no assurance that there will be a shipping version of Alchemy

So, if you're interested in this program, get busy with it and tell Adobe all about it--what rocks, and what needs more work?

Some resources for getting started:

• Article from Branden Hall: Understanding Adobe Alchemy


• Alchemy on Adobe Labs


• Tutorial on Alchemy by Mike Chambers

Once upon a time...

Some coders have very strong convictions on the proper use of curly braces. I'm not one of them, but I do have some preferences.

To me, placing the opening curly brace on the same line as the function statement is just a little more elegant and poetic. I see

function someFunction(){

...

}

as much like

Once upon a time

...

The End

The opening curly brace is part of an opening statement. Putting the curly brace on the next line seems a little like putting a period on the next line after the end of a sentence.

When working with a body of code that already exists, I don't have any problem conforming to it's style. But when I have the freedom to set my own style, I certainly prefer the curly brace on the same line.

The 25-Lines Contest is On!

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! The 25-Line ActionScript Contest opens tomorrow!

I'm really looking forward to seeing what comes in. So make some cool stuff. Get creative! Remember that code only goes so far, without an idea behind it. Be playful and have fun!

Some info from the official 25-Lines Contest site:

The current contest runs from Saturday, November 15, 2008 from just after 12:00 midnight Eastern Standard Time (EST) until 12:00 midnight the evening of Friday, November 28, 2008 EST.
...
First prize is an Adobe CS4 Suite. Additional prizes to be announced.
...
Judging will run from November 28 to December 5, 2008.

Voting will run from December 6 to December 13, 2008 and a winner will be announced on December 14.

We will then take a break for the holidays, and the next contest will start January 1, 2009. Future contests should continue to start on the 1st of each month.

Be sure to read the contest rules! Breaking the rules gets your entry disqualified.

Going Back To School

Some time ago, I realized that I wasn't really happy with my work life. That I wasn't spending enough time on projects that challenged me. That clients were driving me a little nuts. That I couldn't be a just code monkey forever. That I needed to take my career to another level, or I would bottom out.

Also, I realized that I didn't want to work alone anymore. I had to either hire my own team, or join an existing team. Both prospects had challenges, and I didn't want to join just any team. When Chris asked if I'd like to join Infrared5, it seemed a perfect fit to me. So I jumped at the opportunity.

At the same time, I felt that my formal education was incomplete and that I wanted to do something about it. So, I applied to grad school with the hope that I could resume my studies part-time.

Today, I got the wonderful news that I've been accepted as a grad student in Computer Science. I'll start in the Spring! I've got some undergrad prerequisites to take before I start graduate level studies, so it's going to take a while. But I'm just happy right now that I've started the journey!

A little text

I've added a brief explanation to a visualization I posted to my labs a while back. It's a simple iterative algorithm for dividing a box.

An application of the algorithm can be seen in this piece.

10 Days to Pack Up and Leave?

We all know the economy isn't exactly thriving these days. Job security can feel a little shaky. But layoffs are common, and most tech workers can find a new job pretty quickly.

However, if you're in the States on a specialized visa, getting laid off means you have 10 days to pack up and get out of the country. When the company sends out notice that there may be layoffs, and that individuals will get notice in the next few days, panic sets in.

Friends of mine are in this situation right now. Waiting to find out if they have to pull their kids out of school and get flights, and pack the house. If the immigration laws made it easier for couples to both be granted work status, they wouldn't be facing this problem. If she could legally work here, they'd have time for him to secure a new position (which must be very specific research)and transfer his visa to the new company. But as things are, they may be back in England in two weeks.

Update: Fortunately, for my friends, he didn't loose his job in this round of lay-offs. So there is hope. The sadest thing is that the research is really important, and could save lives. So, I'm glad they get to stay for both selfish and altruistic reasons. I'm glad my friends get to stay, and that the research continues.